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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28338747">A Kind of Magical Adventure (and the Spiders from Mars)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nastally/pseuds/nastally'>nastally</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plainxte/pseuds/Plainxte'>Plainxte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Queen (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>1970s, Adventure &amp; Romance, Aliens, Christmas Fluff, Crossovers &amp; Fandom Fusions, David Bowie cameo, Doctor Who puns, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humour, Kensington Market, Light-Hearted, M/M, Period Typical Attitudes, Pining, TARDIS Rooms, Time Travel, a hint of Four/Romana if you squint, and there was only one bed, but we wrote it anyway, innuendos, space hotel, the crossover nobody asked for</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:15:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,245</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28338747</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nastally/pseuds/nastally, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plainxte/pseuds/Plainxte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Something about the tall man with his impossibly long scarf and the petite woman beside him drew Roger's eye, even in the bustle of Kensington Market just before Christmas. Roger had an eye for these things, and they didn't look like they were just shopping. It was as though they were looking for someone. </p><p>And then, there was the strange police box just outside the market...</p><p>- - -</p><p><b>If QUEEN RPF is your jam,</b> you might like this.<br/><b>If you’re into DOCTOR WHO only,</b> this probably isn’t for you.<br/><b>If you like DOCTOR WHO and QUEEN <i>and</i> Froger, congratulations! This is for all five of you.</b> 😁</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fourth Doctor &amp; Romana II, Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor, Minor or Background Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Aliens of Kensington</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinLily/gifts">PumpkinLily</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is what happens when Whovians meet in the Queen fandom, fall in love with Froger and become writing buddies. 😁 This is to 85% just <span class="u">a Froger fic</span>, so it’s fairly light on the Doctor Who (and David Bowie). Even if you have no idea what Doctor Who is, you should be able to follow the story without any problems. If you happen to know and like Doctor Who, you’ll catch all the references on top of that!</p><p>Written as a DW Christmas Special type of story, in the Classic Who 4-parter format. MERRY CHRISTMAS, everybody! 🎄</p><p>Also a gift for PumpkinLily, who prompted nastally to write “Froger and aliens” roughly five million years ago. Here you are, at last! 💕</p><p>A big thank you to another Queenie Whovian, BisexualRoger, for beta reading and sharing our excitement about this mad crossover! ❤️</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>- - -</p><p>The air was cold and crisp even though the morning sun was peeking through the patchy cloud cover. Turning onto the high street, a spring in his step, Freddie tucked the end of his scarf into his fur coat and stuck his hands deep into his pockets. Despite the gloves, the ends of his fingers were numb from the icy winter chill. Snow had begun to fall in small flurries of tiny flakes. A pretty dusting of it covered the pavement and the awnings of shops and cafés.</p><p>He smiled to himself as he wound his way through crowds of shoppers, which were always numerous this close to Christmas, hunting for last minute gifts and surprises for their loved ones. While Freddie didn't care much for the cold, nor having to elbow his way down the high street, there was definitely something that lifted the spirits about this time of year. An excitement in the air and in people's faces. </p><p>He was running a little late, so undoubtedly Roger had already opened up the stall. Even his friend and bandmate had been in a great mood all week, whistling along to the Christmas classics the record stall across from theirs was playing, and entertaining customers - and Freddie - with his easy charm and terrible jokes. Spending the weekends at the market stall together had never felt like a chore in all the time they had pursued the venture, certainly not to Freddie. It barely felt like work, even though sometimes it managed to pay the bills. Truthfully, most weekends Freddie really could not wait to kiss his girlfriend goodbye in the morning and jump on the bus to spend the day with his best friend instead. Perhaps they could nip to the stall which was selling mulled wine on their lunch break today. Now there was an idea that already warmed his insides, helping him forget the frosty wind that bit his cheeks and the tip of his nose. </p><p>So lost in thought was he, the sound of the carol singers who stood at the entrance of Kensington Market already reaching his ears, that Freddie only noticed the <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2kkHjSu">police public call box</a> in passing and walked around it without a second thought like every other person on the street.</p><p>But just as he was about to enter the market, something about it gave him pause. He slowed for a moment, casting a glance over his shoulder. The big, blue box didn't exactly look out of place, as such. A regular police box, its roof covered in a thin layer of snow just like the awning of the café beside it. </p><p>It was only that Freddie couldn't remember ever noticing it before. </p><p>However, the next moment, the wind picked up, and Freddie shivered and turned back towards the entrance of the market to seek shelter in its inviting warmth. Perhaps he could even get Roger to rub some life back into his frozen fingers if he played his cards right.</p>
<hr/><p>A fair few people were milling around the market on this Saturday morning, but so far few had stopped by the tiny second-hand clothes stall tucked away between records new and old, artisanal jewellery, trinkets, hand-knitted winter-wear and psychedelic artwork. And so, with not much else to do, Roger had been following the progress of a rather strange couple as surreptitiously as he could from his perch in front of the stall he and Freddie called their own. </p><p>The duo Roger was observing, a man and a woman, had meandered their way around the whole floor over the course of the last half an hour or so. Of course the market attracted all kinds. But there was something about these two that struck Roger as particularly curious. </p><p>The man was quite tall with an impressive, dark head of curls. In fact, Roger had very nearly mistaken him for Brian at first glance. But he was far older, his shoulders were wider, and he had little of Brian's lankiness. The woman, on the other hand, had long, silky blonde hair and was much shorter. Petite, even. </p><p>Both of the strangers were dressed in long coats, brown and light pink respectively, and both of them wore incredibly long scarves around their necks in large loops which surprisingly did not seem to tangle around their ankles, impractical as they looked. What was more, they didn’t appear to be simply browsing for something to buy. Roger had become rather adept at spotting people who were out to spend money ever since he and Freddie had opened the stall a year ago, and often managed to entice somebody to buy a thing or two. But these two weren’t really all that interested in what the market had to offer. It was almost as though they were looking for someone, he thought, or perhaps even suspecting that they were being followed.</p><p>Or watched. </p><p>To be fair, they <i>were</i> being watched. Roger lifted a roasted chestnut to his mouth and bit into it to crack it open, a small, lop-sided grin on his face. Discarding the peel into the newspaper cone of roasted nuts which he had picked up on the way to the market, he popped a warm piece of chestnut into his mouth and leaned sideways a little to follow the strangers’ path with his eyes. All this casual spy work had provided him with a distraction while he waited for Freddie to turn up, so that Roger in turn could run downstairs and maybe grab a couple of hot coffees which wouldn’t go amiss in this weather. Even inside the market hall it was chilly and the fingerless gloves he was wearing were not doing much to ward off the cold. Besides, the lady who worked downstairs always let him take the cups away and bring them back later, especially when he flashed her a charming smile and threw in a compliment or two. Fishing another chestnut out of the bag, Roger looked down to peel it, bobbing his head a little to the music coming from the record stall nearby. </p><p>When he raised his eyes again, he was caught off guard by how close the two strangers had come. They had changed direction and were now heading his way. Roger quickly lowered his head again so as not to be caught staring directly at them, but could see them approach the stall next to his out of the corner of his eye. Now close enough to overhear their conversation, he couldn’t help but listen in.</p><p>"Well, this has certainly been interesting. I do enjoy a stroll around an alien marketplace.” </p><p>Roger frowned, bemused. Kensington Market was certainly a colourful spot, but it wasn’t exactly out of this world. Still, she had a pleasant voice, that girl. Woman. He sneaked a quick glance over at her, catching a glimpse of her profile. Frankly, it was hard to place her. She looked young, <i>youthful</i>, but definitely older than him. </p><p>"It’s very quaint,” she continued with a little sigh. “But Doctor, I don't see why he would be here of all places. In the middle of all this... tat."</p><p>"Tat, you say? <i>Tat</i>? I'm sure I saw a thirty-fifth century Zygon sonar decoder in mint condition just back there!" The man’s voice was deep and melodious, and while he wasn’t making much sense either, or else Roger hadn’t heard him right, he was definitely moving closer. "Besides, we know Ziggy was in the neighbourhood, the sonic screwdriver picked up the residual-"</p><p>“Dearie me!”</p><p>The exclamation coming from the other direction startled Roger so much he very nearly dropped the paper cone of chestnuts in his lap, clutching it at the last moment as he spun around, only to come face to face with his best friend, bandmate and partner in business (or crime, considering what questionable wares they’d managed to sell people over the last year): a beaming, rosy-cheeked Freddie Mercury.</p><p>“It’s freezing out there.” Freddie rubbed his gloved hands together demonstratively, then raised his eyebrows. “I’m sorry, dear, did I give you a fright?”</p><p>Roger shook his head, breaking into a smile. “No, I… uh…”</p><p>But he didn’t get much further, because that moment Freddie’s eyes locked on something just behind his shoulder.</p><p>“Ooh, customers,” he murmured, eyes flicking back to Roger as he shook a few snowflakes out of his hair. “I’ll just nip inside and make myself presentable.”</p><p>While Freddie ducked inside the stall, giving his arm a friendly pat on the way, Roger turned back around and looked up. And up. The man with the ridiculously long, striped scarf was imposingly tall up close. Roger also instantly coveted the dark brown fedora he wore, perched on top of his wild curls.</p><p>“Hello there,” the stranger said, fixing him with large, inquisitive eyes.</p><p>“Hey... How can I help you?” Roger gave the man and his pretty, blond companion a friendly smile, trying to appear to all senses and purposes as though he’d only just noticed them. “Looking for something in particular?”</p><p>“Oh, indeed we are!” The tall man flashed him a big, toothy smile in return. “Something very special, or some<i>one</i>, I should say.” He inclined his head and leaned down to Roger, as though speaking in confidence. Roger instinctively leaned in as well, intrigued (and quietly triumphant - he’d known it! They <i>had</i> been looking for somebody.)</p><p>"We were hoping to run into a good friend of ours, you see. Only we’ve misplaced him.” A peculiar expression passed over the stranger’s features as he studied Roger’s face closely for a second or two. Still smiling his slightly manic smile, he raised a long-fingered hand and clutched his hat, pressing it into his curls. “Ah, but of course! It’s you…”</p><p>“Er…” Roger blinked back at him, absolutely certain that he wouldn’t have forgotten it in a hurry if he had made this peculiar man’s acquaintance before. However, the next moment the stranger seemed to catch himself and chuckled.</p><p>“It’s you I should have been talking to all along, that is to say.” He glanced back over his shoulder and then looked the other way, craning his neck briefly to peer inside the stall as he spoke. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Ziggy around-" </p><p>“<i>Doctor</i>,” his female companion coughed into her fist, shooting the man a pointed look.</p><p>“Who?” asked Roger as the two strangers exchanged a quick glance.</p><p>“What?” the man asked, returning his attention to him, then followed it up with a curt nod as if answering his own question. "Yes. I don’t suppose, that is... that you happen to know a man named David?” Roger knew several men named David, as a matter of fact, but before he had the chance to say so the other man continued. “David, ah, Bowie, I think he calls himself these days?"</p><p>“David <i>Bowie</i>?” Roger squeaked, voice pitching a little higher than he was comfortable admitting.</p><p>"Shh!” the stranger hissed, pressing a finger to his lips. “Keep your voice down.” He looked around like he expected somebody to be lurking between the stalls, as did the woman, and Roger began to wonder if the pair of them had perhaps escaped from a lunatic asylum.</p><p>“No, but I just mean-” Even so, he couldn’t help glancing around as well, just in case. “Of course I know him. Well, not <i>personally</i>. But he was here just the other day. Bought some boots off Alan there.” Roger pointed to the stall on the corner with a nod and both of them swivelled around to look.</p><p>"Really?" The man turned back to him, the expression on his face delighted. “Then we're not far off! I knew we were on the right track, I did tell you so," he added, addressing the woman, who looked quite serious as she nodded. </p><p>“We must hurry, Doctor. You know what the Racnoss will do to him if they get to him first."</p><p>“Right you are, Romana. Come along.” And with that, the tall man doffed his hat with a last, brief glance at Roger and then hurried off after his companion who was already striding towards Alan’s stall, the tails of her pink coat billowing behind her.</p><p>“What in the world was that all about?” was precisely what Roger was thinking, but it was Freddie who said it, appearing beside him from the depths of their little stall.</p><p>“Search me.” Roger shook his head, squinting a little as he watched the two peculiar strangers corner and interrogate Alan, the owner of the shoe shop at the end of Death Row, as this part of the market was affectionately called because it drew the fewest numbers of customers. </p><p>Roger turned to Freddie with a crooked grin. “Were you listening in this whole time, you cheeky sod? Leaving me to deal with the lunatics?”</p><p>“Well, I wasn’t sure I should be getting involved.” Freddie shrugged, tucking a stubborn lock of hair away. “I didn’t know what was going on.”</p><p>“You knew better than me!” Roger chuckled, playfully elbowing his friend. “You were over there chatting to Alan when Bowie came by. You said you practically helped sell him those boots.”</p><p>Freddie gave Roger a little eyebrow waggle, looking pleased with himself. “He offered me a job, don’t you know.”</p><p>“What? Who?” Roger’s voice jumped up an octave as he made a show of leaning back in surprise, a look of near outrage on his face. “Alan?”</p><p>“No, dear, David Bowie.” Freddie deadpanned, but pursed his lips over his teeth the next moment, not quite managing to suppress a smile. “Alan, of course. He reckons I’m an excellent salesman. And I told you, Bowie didn’t even recognise me…”</p><p>His smile faded as he trailed off. This part Roger had heard about in great detail. David Bowie had performed at Freddie’s college a couple of years ago, and Freddie had helped him set up. Roger knew that his friend was far more wounded than he let on that Britain’s newest pop sensation had not only failed to remember him, but had shot to international fame last year while Roger and Freddie, and Queen, well… It was probably best to take Freddie’s mind off that. And his own, too. </p><p>“Oh, I see how it is.” Roger feigned a glare and shook his head disapprovingly. “Sneaky bastard, that Alan. Trying to steal my business partner away from me.”</p><p>It made Freddie chuckle, and that was good. That was far better than bemoaning their lack of success as the year was coming to an end, and more worryingly still, their lack of a decent bassist. </p><p>“Of course I’d never consider it, who do you take me for?” Freddie hooked his arm around Roger’s, leaning his head against his friend’s shoulder. He lingered there for a few moments and Roger smiled down at him. In all honesty, it was hard to feel too dreadful about things when he and Freddie were in it together. Because - or so Roger had always felt, really, ever since the day they had first met - they were going to get there somehow, between them. Deep inside, he really believed in them. Perhaps because he knew that Freddie did, too.</p><p>“You’re just cross he didn’t offer you a job.” Freddie smirked up at him and Roger stuck the tip of his tongue out between his teeth.</p><p>“His loss! Clearly he doesn’t have a single clue which one of us attracts the customers in droves.”</p><p>That earned him an outraged gasp and an elbow to the ribs, and before long, a roasted chestnut had gone flying in Freddie’s direction and a fox fur scarf hit Roger square in the face in retaliation. </p><p>By the time Roger once again remembered the pair of strangers from before and cast a look over in the direction of Alan’s little shoe shop, they had of course long gone. However, a couple of hours later, when droves of customers had failed to turn up and stomachs had begun to rumble, Roger found himself wondering about those two once more while he and Freddie descended the stairs to the ground level.</p><p>“What do you think they were on about though?” he mused, coming to a halt at the bottom of the stairs and waiting for Freddie, who was a few paces behind. “Bit strange, that, about Bowie.”</p><p>“Goodness knows,” Freddie sighed and stepped down beside him. “It's a shame they didn't buy anything, in the end," he added with a sniff, busy arranging his scarf and shrugging his coat higher up onto his shoulders. Roger found himself momentarily arrested - as he always was - by the sight of Freddie's long, nimble fingers, adjusting the way the fabric sat.</p><p>“Don’t worry.” He smiled when Freddie looked up at him. “I’ll get lunch today.”</p><p>The snow was coming down thick and heavy when they stepped out onto Kensington High Street, shivering in the cold. Roger immediately turned and strode towards their regular pub, past shoppers headed the opposite way, wishing he’d grabbed a hat from the stall. His coat was definitely too thin for this weather. Freddie, at least, had thought to borrow a hat from amidst their stock. A beret, as a matter of fact, which despite Roger’s teasing didn’t actually make him look like a French mime, but perhaps a little bit like the art school graduate he was. And speaking of Freddie... </p><p>Becoming aware that his friend wasn't right behind him any longer, Roger looked back and then came to a halt. Where’d Freddie gone off to now? Bloody typical. He had undoubtedly been struck by an idea that needed his immediate attention, momentarily making him forget all about his empty stomach. Roger sighed and retraced his steps, muttering a quiet “Excuse me, sorry” as he squeezed through a gaggle of middle-aged women loaded with shopping bags.</p><p>Sure enough, he found Freddie standing in the middle of the pavement only a few yards back, looking up at a police box, of all things.</p><p>"Oi! Freddie? I dunno about you, but I’m bloody starving."</p><p>"Do you remember this being here?" Freddie all but spoke over him, frowning at the box. “Before today, I mean?”</p><p>“Uh…” Roger glanced at it, brushing a hand over his face to dislodge a couple of large snowflakes that were clinging to his eyelashes. He couldn’t say that he remembered seeing it, particularly, but how was that of any consequence right now? "I mean, I don’t think so. So what? It's just a police box, isn't it?"</p><p>Freddie gave a quiet hum. "Yes, it’s only that… do you think it’s always been here?"</p><p>“I guess so. What does it matter?” Roger couldn't for the life of him see what was so exciting about a perfectly regular police box. Sure, there weren’t as many around as there used to be, but this was hardly the strangest sight he’d encountered today.</p><p>Freddie, however, had reached out a hand now and was running his gloved fingers lightly across the worn, wooden surface of the box. The snow had coated it in its magic, the way it was wont to do to the world, disguising its everyday mundanity and making it appear a little bit like something out of a story. </p><p>"It’s just,” Freddie started again, “we must have been walking right past it for a year… more than that. You'd think we would have noticed- oh!" He pulled his hand back in surprise, and the next moment Roger realised why. The door had opened, just a crack, under the pressure of his fingers. </p><p>“It’s open,” Freddie noted, and like Roger, he was curiously peering up and down along the edge of the door. Or rather, looking at the surprisingly bright, white light that seemed to be emanating from within. Now <i>that</i>, Roger had to admit, was definitely a little strange. Nobody could possibly be inside. A police box wasn’t exactly large. If there had been a copper inside surely he would have noticed the door opening and would already be leaning out shaking a finger at them. <i>Take a look</i>, a voice in Roger’s head urged all of a sudden, distant and like an intimate whisper in his ear all at once. It didn’t quite feel like his own voice, which was utterly ridiculous, he realised. And yet... <i>Open the door.</i></p><p>"We shouldn't, really-" he started.</p><p>"I don't suppose we-" said Freddie.</p><p>They had spoken at the same time and both broke off, turning to look at each other. A slow grin spread out on their faces, identical and mischievous. It negated the need for discussion, a perfect understanding already reached. Freddie lifted his hand to the door again and Roger followed suit, resting his bare fingertips against the weather-worn wood.</p><p>Partners in crime, indeed.</p><p>As one, they took a breath and gave each side a small push. Sure enough, the door panels easily swung open. And Roger’s jaw hung slack.</p><p>“Rog,” Freddie whispered. His face looked pale, bathed in bright, white light as he stared. Like Roger to the right of him, he was squinting at a luminous space the likes of which neither of them had ever seen. It was so thoroughly strange Roger didn’t know what to make of it at all. The only thing which immediately stood out to him being that it was utterly and completely impossible that what he was seeing could be contained within this police box. It had to be some kind of trick.</p><p>“No,” he murmured with a shake of his head, and took a step back. Then he turned and stumbled all the way around the wooden box, barely larger than a telephone box, running his hand along it. But there didn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary about it. Solid on all sides, it simply stood there, paradoxically <i>normal</i>. As he reached the front of it once again, Roger saw that Freddie had taken a few steps inside the enormous, circular, white room the doors had opened into.</p><p>“Fred,” he breathed, crossing the threshold as well without a second thought. For that had always been the way of their friendship. Where one would lead, the other would inevitably follow.</p><p>Turning back over his shoulder, Freddie’s wide eyes found his, the expression on his face one of almost childlike wonder, somewhat at odds with fearful disbelief.</p><p>“Roger,” he whispered, "it… it’s…"</p><p>“Bigger on the inside,” Roger finished with a slow nod.</p><p>And that was when the doors fell shut behind them.</p><p>- - -</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>These are Romana and the Doctor (in 1970s Doctor Who, featuring Peter Straker as a futuristic space alien in the second photo):<br/><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/185412286@N08/50761709868/in/dateposted-public/"></a><br/><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/185412286@N08/50762537082/in/dateposted-public/"></a></p><p>And here is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcjIzo3FGvo">a funny 2-minute introduction to this Doctor</a>, which will give you some idea of the utterly camp, zany silliness Classic Doctor Who was.</p><p>We're really, really curious to see if anyone at all will find this nearly as exciting and entertaining as we do. 😂</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Into The Unknown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>OOO - eee - OOOH!</p><p>We are back! :D So happy to have discovered the small handful of Whovians in the Queen fandom, haha! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and those of you who have no idea what Doctor Who is, we think you'll be able to empathise a lot with Roger and Freddie here.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>- - -</p><p>Roger rammed his shoulder into the door once more with all his strength, but it seemed to have no intention of giving way.</p><p>Trying to ignore the strange reality that the doors looked much larger and twice as solid from the inside - not painted wood but smooth white and covered in <a href="https://thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/wp-images/tardis/console-room-season-15/tardis-console-season-15.jpg">a pattern of large roundels like the rest of the circular room</a> - Freddie banged on it once again with his fist. “Hello? Hello!” </p><p>After one final despairing shove, Roger stepped back, rubbing his shoulder. “It's no use. We're stuck in here.”</p><p>“But we <i>can't</i> be.” Panic was steadily getting the better of Freddie. “Roger, there is a street full of people just outside! Surely…” He tried not to think about the fact that he could not hear so much as a whisper. No sound from the busy high street seemed to penetrate here. Instead, he grabbed on to the edge of one of the roundels, leaning his head inside, hoping the door might be thinner there.  “Hello! Anyone!” </p><p><i>Pointless</i>, a small voice whispered at the back of his mind. </p><p>“They can't bloody hear us,” Roger grumbled, agitated, unknowingly agreeing with Freddie's fearful suspicion. </p><p>“You can't know that!” Freddie snapped as he turned to look at him, refusing to resign himself to the worrying possibility that they were indeed trapped. As though to prove his point, he whirled back around and gave the door another desperate smack with his fist. With a small noise that was part frustration and partly a pained grunt, he finally took a step back and cradled his hand against his chest. </p><p>“You alright?” came Roger's voice from behind his shoulder, gentler this time. </p><p>“Fine,” Freddie replied curtly and lowered his eyes to the ground which was smooth and white like everything else that surrounded them. Fine! <i>Of course</i> he wasn't fine. What in God’s name <i>was</i> this place? How could they have walked into a public call box and ended up here? Maybe it was all a dream, he wondered in all seriousness. Could it be? Freddie was no stranger to nightmares. But this didn’t feel like one.</p><p>“What do we do?” he asked weakly, raising his eyes back up to Roger. There was concern and helplessness on the other man's face, too. However, upon seeing the imploring look Freddie gave him, Roger’s expression hardened with determination, brows furrowed and jaw set.</p><p>“Right. Okay.” He turned to face the space they were standing in and looked around, squinting past the hexagonal structure in the middle. It was covered in levers, switches and buttons on all sides, like some sort of… controls console? But what for? Freddie wondered, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.  </p><p>“Hey!” Roger called towards the doorway on the other side of the room. “Is there anyone here?”</p><p>The ominous, empty corridor beyond filled Freddie with dread the more he stared at it.</p><p>“Shh,” he urged instinctively, torn between wanting to grab on to Roger’s arm and at the same time scared into stillness, not at all certain that he wanted to find out who or what might be lurking in this place. A nonsensical reaction, of course, he told himself, for if somebody had been there, they would have surely come out already. Unless-</p><p>“Why?” Roger interrupted his train of thought, which was just as well, because it was quickly spiralling into full-on terror. The younger man took a step forward, hands on his hips. “It’s not our bloody fault we’re stuck here, is it? It was open, after all, we didn’t break in. <i>Hello</i>!”</p><p>Yes. That was a good point, Freddie thought. Whatever this place was, it couldn’t be particularly dangerous or secret, he reasoned. Could it? Or else people wouldn’t be able to simply stumble in as they pleased. His mind kept grasping at logical explanations. Perhaps it was a movie set? But then where was everybody? Out for a spot of lunch? He stepped up beside Roger and cleared his throat, raising his voice a little. "Is… is anyone there?" </p><p>"Anybody!" </p><p>In lieu of a response, there was only an eerie silence as their voices died away. And a strange background hum, like electricity.</p><p>“Maybe,” Freddie ventured, edging closer to his best friend. “Maybe there's a backdoor of some sort?"</p><p>“In a police box?” Roger scoffed.</p><p>Freddie turned to stare at him. “Does this look like a <i>box</i> to you?” </p><p>“Yeah, alright,” Roger conceded, casting another look at their surroundings. </p><p>In all honesty, the idea of walking down that corridor did not appeal to Freddie, but then, what else could they do? Sit around and wait? Why, there wasn’t even anywhere to sit. Actually, if it hadn’t been for the fact that the space they were standing in was brightly lit and for the glow of the wide cylinder protruding from the centre of the control desks, the blinking buttons… One could have assumed the entire place was abandoned. Except - Freddie blinked at a hat stand in a corner, a regular wooden hat stand with a lone umbrella hanging from it, as out of place here as a cod in a cornfield - perhaps abandoned wasn’t the right word. </p><p>No, he realised, he couldn’t quite explain it but the place felt <i>old</i>. In the way that ancient places of worship did, he mused, lifting his eyes up to the dome-shaped ceiling which was the same nondescript white as the walls. High up in the centre, however, was a symbol. It looked like a number eight inside a circle, with lines curling all around it. As he gazed at it, some of the tension left him, panic slowly subsiding as though somebody had laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.</p><p>“Roger,” he said quietly, a vague realisation forming in his mind.</p><p>“Yeah?” The other man’s voice sounded a little more distant than Freddie had expected. When he looked around for him, he found his friend standing in front of all the buttons and switches.</p><p>“Roger, what are you doing?”</p><p>“Relax.” The younger man glanced over at Freddie. "I'm not touching anything, just looking." When Freddie joined him at the console, Roger grinned at the wary look he gave him. “They’re not labelled. See? I wouldn’t know where to start.” He gestured at the controls with a despondent sigh. </p><p>Freddie clucked his tongue, eyes scanning the myriad of switches and buttons on the slanted surface in front of them. For a moment he was reminded of his first time in a recording studio control room, when Smile had been recording their EP. Staring at the technician’s hands on the controls, desperately curious to know what he was doing, and how.</p><p>“What were you saying?”</p><p>“Hm?” Freddie looked up at Roger. “Oh…” </p><p>As he tried to recall what he had wanted to tell him, he found that he couldn’t remember. “It got away from me,” he murmured, turning to look at the doorway instead. “What do you say, should we see if we can find another way out?”</p><p>“Let’s,” Roger agreed, giving him a pat on the shoulder in passing as he made for the corridor leading away from the circular room, and Freddie followed.</p><p><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/80/d4/53/80d453ae2c15caf52aa85f002c5aba0b.jpg">Even though the lights were decidedly dimmer in the corridor which stretched on, hexagonal like the central console and windowless</a>, it no longer seemed so eerie to Freddie. The electrical background hum was more noticeable here, but even that seemed strangely soothing, now.</p><p>“Do you think we’re underground?” he murmured half to himself as they hit a junction, stopping to look left and right. It felt as if the corridor had been sloping downward gently.</p><p>“I really don’t know. Maybe. Which way now?” </p><p>Every direction looked identical. But then-</p><p>“Oh!” </p><p>“Hey!” They spotted it at the same time and Roger grabbed Freddie by the arm, turning left. “That's a door!”</p><p>It was. </p><p>Looking back, Freddie realised they must have passed several of them, only he hadn’t recognised them as such because it looked as if one of the wall panels had simply slid open. No handles nor door knobs in sight. But what lay beyond the opening looked like daylight, and Freddie prematurely rejoiced at the sight of the outside world, albeit certainly not Kensington. </p><p>Then, relief turned to confusion. </p><p>Roger gave an incredulous, high-pitched laugh as he walked into the room, for a room it was. On first sight, they were standing in a courtyard. <a href="http://whoniverse.net/sites/default/files/tardis/cloisters.jpg">Gothic stone arcs and ivy</a>, grey, weathered brickwork and even a small fountain in the centre of it.</p><p>“What the hell…” Roger reached out to touch the dark green ivy leaves before he lifted his head up to the sky. It was that and the lack of a fresh breeze which gave it away. There was no sky, nor a ceiling. Only a white mist into which the stone pillars around them disappeared. The mist was moving, rippling and swirling slowly. It was quite mesmerising. </p><p>“I remember…” Freddie turned around in a circle and then took a step back, promptly catching an uneven cobblestone with the heel of his platform boots.</p><p>“Careful there!” Roger was by his side, linking their arms together to help him regain his balance. “Remember what?”</p><p>“Oh, thank you, dear. What I was going to say,” Freddie chuckled at his own clumsiness and met his friend's eyes. “I was going to say… well, it’s strange, but… Aren’t you scared?”</p><p>Roger opened his mouth and closed it again, looking a little puzzled. “I mean…”</p><p>“I don't feel scared anymore.” Freddie glanced around before his eyes returned to Roger’s face, a somewhat helpless smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I don't have the faintest idea where we are, I don't know how we’re going to get out, <i>none</i> of this makes a damn lick of sense, but I’m not… I’m not afraid… do you know?”</p><p>“You’re right,” Roger murmured, realisation dawning on his face. “I know what you mean. It feels…” he trailed off as they both took in their surroundings once more. </p><p>“Safe," Freddie finished. </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Slowly turning back towards each other, they stared into each other's faces for a long moment and then burst out laughing as one.</p><p>“Maybe we’re tripping,” Roger snorted, running a hand through his hair, which was still damp from the snow they had been in only some fifteen minutes ago. “Shit, what if there was acid in that coffee? Jesus, Freddie-”</p><p>“Oh God! Oh no,” Freddie couldn’t contain his laughter at the sheer, unbelievable outlandishness of everything around him as he clung on to Roger’s arm, one hand covering his mouth. “Dearie me… What if we’ve lost our <i>minds</i>?”</p><p>It shouldn’t have been so funny, surely, but what reaction was appropriate in their current situation?</p><p>“Both of us?” Roger wheezed, wiping the corner of his eye. “What, a really bad case of folie à deux?”</p><p>“What?” Freddie giggled, slowly regaining control over himself and taking a few careful, trembling breaths.</p><p>“Folie à deux,” Roger repeated sagely. “It’s French.”</p><p>“Thank you, Roger, I can tell it’s <i>French</i>.” Freddie tutted and gave his friend's arm a slap.</p><p>“Shared psychosis. A madness that befalls two people at the same time. It’s a real thing,” Roger informed him.</p><p>“Is it now?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>“Well.”</p><p>Maybe they had gone mad. If nothing else - Freddie thought as they finally let go of each other, sharing a grin and shaking their heads - there probably wasn't anybody in the world who he would have rather gone mad with than Roger Taylor. </p><p>A few minutes later, they left the courtyard behind and carried on walking, passing several more rooms. One was stranger and more unexpected than the next. There was a room that was entirely empty and completely white, bright but without a light source in sight. And a perfectly regular bedroom - even if the décor seemed somewhat outdated - immaculate and sparsely furnished, as though made up for the arrival of guests. They took a right, then a left, and found a vast library at the end of one corridor, books upon books of all sizes and ages, some positively ancient by the looks of them.</p><p>“They’re all in English,” Roger commented, “the titles, I mean.”</p><p>That much was true, although there were some very peculiar, utterly unpronounceable names among the authors, Freddie discovered as he scanned a shelf. “What did you expect, dear? We are in England.”</p><p>“I suppose,” Roger called back from two shelves over.</p><p>Another right, another left, down a set of stairs, and Freddie suddenly startled when one of the panels in the wall slid open just as he passed by.</p><p>“Goodness,” he gasped, turning back to see if anyone would emerge. Nobody did. Freddie looked around. “Rog-” </p><p>But his friend had already gone ahead, his sights set on an open doorway down the corridor from which a blue-tinged light was emanating. Deciding to catch up with him in a moment, Freddie took a couple of steps back, peering into the room which had just opened up. And his eyes went wide.</p><p><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/32/d4/bb/32d4bb760a2afcfc94d6bee8a9f618cd.png">The room was enormous.</a> There were several levels and walkways connecting them. One of them led from the door to a spiral staircase which wound its way up and down through the centre of the room. And as far as the eye could see, there were racks of clothes. Hundreds of them, filled with threads of every colour. It was as though somebody had crammed Biba, Cathy's and Kensington Market into the same space. </p><p>It was <i>incredible</i>. </p><p>“Fred! Where are you? You'll never believe this!” came a shout from down the corridor. </p><p>“Just a moment, darling!” Freddie was only half listening. He had already entered the room, gaping at the racks of clothes with childlike glee. They seemed to suggest endless possibilities. Just glancing around he could see that there was a variety of styles the likes of which he had never seen all in one place. From dresses that looked fit for Marie Antoinette to sleek ultra-modern shimmering materials and cuts. What if they could have got their hands on some of these treasures for the stall? Not that they had the space for everything he would have liked to take away with him. <i>No one</i> had space for all this. He shook his head at the impossibility, running his fingers across different textures and inspecting a few interesting patterns. An off-white, faintly Victorian-looking dress caught his eye and he admired its delicate folds and the drape of the thin fabric for a moment. Then, as he approached the spiral staircase, Freddie noticed a shelf full of gloves. Freddie thought of his own worn-out pair - they were a dreary grey - and stepped closer, glancing around surreptitiously. Surely nobody would notice if a pair of gloves were to go missing in a place like this? </p><p>There was a splendid selection of colourful mittens and sturdy woollen gloves next to chic leather ones, and long gloves in lace and satin. The choice was quite overwhelming. </p><p>“<i>Freddie</i>!” Roger's voice reached him, only just, faint and distant. </p><p>“A moment!” Freddie shouted back just as something sparkling caught his eye. “Ooh…” With a curious frown, he picked up a glove that seemed to be made of black leather, but impossibly thin and soft. As he turned it over in his hands, he discovered that it had claws on each finger, made of a metallic, shiny material that Freddie couldn't immediately place. But what really drew his eye were the diamonds. They couldn't be real, could they? One at the base of each claw. He ran his fingers over them, inspecting the fine detail of the craftsmanship. The glove looked delicate but sturdy at the same time. Elegant and fierce. Now, what we're the chances that it would fit, of course - <i>oh.</i> The moment he slid his hand into it, the glove seemed to mould itself around his hand perfectly. Freddie smiled as he rotated his wrist, admiring the way the light caught on the gemstones, making them glimmer.</p><p>“Frederick Mercury!” Roger was yelling from far away. “I'm serious, you <i>have</i> to come look!”</p><p>Reluctantly, Freddie stepped away, prepared to go see what Roger had got himself into. However, at the last moment, he spotted something shiny underneath a lurid green pair of thick mittens and broke into a grin as he grabbed hold of the second clawed glove, stuffing it into his pocket for now. Whatever Roger had found, it couldn't possibly be better than this. </p><p>Freddie left the room, walked down the corridor and made for the next doorway down at the other end. </p><p>“FREDDIE!” </p><p>“<i>Coming</i>!” Freddie turned to face the doorway when he reached it and stopped dead in his tracks. Despite everything he had already seen, <i>this</i> still came as a surprise. </p><p>There was a large swimming pool right in front of him. </p><p>The air was pleasantly warm and the light had a different quality in here, reminiscent of a sunny day even though there were no windows, no sky and no sun. </p><p>“Goodness…” he murmured as he ventured inside. A pleasant shudder ran through him. It felt like he was thawing. He hadn't realised how cold it was, this whole time. Not as cold as outside, but the corridors and the other rooms had been rather chilly. Now, some feeling was returning to his toes and fingertips. </p><p>Freddie blinked and looked around, and for what felt like the thousandth time that day, tried to take in what he was seeing. </p><p>First the police box that wasn't a police box. Then all those strange rooms. And now <i>this</i>. This tropical spa! It was a vast, luxurious space. There were palm fronds waving on one side, and the shimmering turquoise water of the pool was reflected on the pristine, tiled walls. On the far side of the room, several large pool toys floated. Among them a pink inflatable flamingo, and a green… crocodile? Freddie was sure he counted a few too many legs. </p><p>And sure enough, there was Roger, happily wading next to the floaties in what looked like the shallow end of the pool. He had ditched his coat and jumper, and the hems of his trousers were rolled up to his knees. For all intents and purposes, he looked like he was having a brilliant time of it. Freddie spied his boots by the side of the pool, along with his clothes discarded on a deckchair.</p><p>“Hey, there you are!” Roger looked up, a bright grin on his face as he straightened and waved to Freddie. “Can you believe this? Amazing, innit!”</p><p>“You certainly look comfortable, darling,” Freddie smiled, walking along the edge of the pool. “Is it warm?”</p><p>“Balmy!” Roger kicked his foot out, splashing a bit of water towards him. Freddie giggled and took a step back even though the spray of droplets didn’t reach him. Then he looked behind himself and cautiously sat down on a deck chair. A part of him felt as though surely, any moment now, all of this was simply going to pop out of existence. Like a mirage. </p><p>“It's nice, this,” Roger leaned down again, trailing his fingers through the water. "I didn't realise I was freezing. Come on in! It'll warm you up in no time.” </p><p>“I'm fine,” Freddie hedged. “You go ahead, dear, I’m just glad to be sitting down.”</p><p>It was true. He felt like they had walked a long way through this maze of corridors. His clunky platform boots felt heavy on his feet. And that was just the thing. Now that he had stopped to think about it, Freddie realised that he had no idea if he could have found his way back at all. He hoped that Roger had kept track of where they had gone better than he had, but he doubted it. Deep down, Freddie knew that this should have been cause for, at the very least, mild concern. </p><p>Paradoxically, not feeling all that concerned made him a little anxious. Even though there was nothing to be wary of in their immediate surroundings, a part of him didn't really want to abandon all caution. He <i>knew</i>, logically, that this entire place was so ridiculous and strange that it should have been terrifying. Something he couldn’t put his finger on was exerting a soothing effect on him. And not only that...  </p><p>Freddie ran his fingers over the smooth, soft leather of the glove he was still wearing on his left hand and turned his wrist this way and that. The material really was like a second skin, and it occurred to him that his hand had been a bit tender ever since he had punched the door rather carelessly. However, now the ache seemed to have gone altogether. Freddie glanced down at the glittering gemstones, moving his fingers lightly. Surely just a coincidence.</p><p>Rolling his shoulders, Freddie leaned back in the deck chair and stretched out his legs. He was starting to feel quite comfortably toasty in his fur coat. Almost sleepy. It was a bit bizarre to sit on a deck chair in winter clothes, he thought, and smiled to himself. But as he watched Roger wade around in the water, he felt reminded of the summer just gone. Their trips to Cornwall in warmer temperatures. The beach blond of Roger’s hair blowing into his sun-tanned face in the salty breeze, his smile as radiant as the summer sun. Freddie sighed dreamily, his gaze following the line of his friend’s shoulders down to his hips. And if his eyes lingered on the curve of Roger's backside a little too long as the other man bent over to investigate the green floatie, then there was no one here to notice. </p><p>Freddie was just contemplating climbing out of his deck chair to splash some water at Roger the next time he came close, when they both stopped in their tracks. A very strange noise echoed through the room, like a low sort of rumble, making the water ripple. It wasn’t comparable to anything Freddie had ever heard before. He didn't quite have the words for it. A sort of wheezing, groaning sound, like an enormous piece of rusty machinery being set in motion.</p><p>But what was more alarming was that he thought he could hear voices, albeit only faintly. As their eyes found each other, Freddie realised he wasn’t imagining it. Judging by the alarmed look on Roger’s face, he was hearing them, too. </p><p>They sprang into action at once. Freddie motioned frantically to his friend and, careful not to splash too much, Roger climbed out of the pool as fast as he could. </p><p>“Come on, come <i>on</i>." Having located a stripey towel, Freddie tossed it at Roger and looked over his shoulder, half expecting somebody to come striding in moment. The unnerving groaning noise had stopped and he could hear the voices more distinctly now, but fortunately they were still too distant to make out any words.</p><p>Roger threw on his jumper and his coat in a hurry, boots untied and jeans still rolled up to his knees as they crept out of the room. The voices seemed to be echoing down the corridor from the opposite direction to the one they had come from. Exchanging a look, the two young men shrugged and followed the sound to investigate.</p><p>As they turned the next corner, Freddie became aware that it was a conversation between a man and a woman they were listening in on. The pair seemed to be discussing something, but even though he could now hear most of the words he couldn’t make much sense of them.</p><p>"But if the Racnoss decide to be unreasonable-" the female voice was saying.</p><p>"Then we'll have to call on Ziggy to mediate."</p><p>"Do you really think he would, Doctor? Will he be in a state to do so?"</p><p>"I'm sure it won't come to that, Romana."</p><p>Creeping down the corridor to another junction, Freddie started when Roger nudged him in the ribs quite urgently all of a sudden.</p><p>"Roger!” He whirled around to him, eyes wide. “Are you trying to scare the living daylights out of me?" </p><p>"It's them," Roger hissed. "It's the couple from the market, just this morning!"</p><p>"Shush, they'll hear you if you go on like that."</p><p>"You're one to talk-" As he said the words, Roger stepped past him to round the corner and stilled, looking straight ahead with a nonplussed expression on his face.</p><p>“What?” Freddie whispered and followed him, only to realise that - inexplicably, <i>impossibly</i> - they had come right back to the doorway of the corridor leading away from the circular room they had started in. Only now, there were two people in the room looking right back at them. </p><p>Well, one of them was. </p><p>The tall man from this morning stood bent over the console in the centre, but the blond woman had stepped away from it, regarding them coolly. Freddie grabbed on to Roger’s sleeve, no longer at ease but rather painfully aware that they were somewhere they definitely shouldn’t be. </p><p>"Doctor,” she said, not taking her eyes off them, “we seem to have picked up a pair of stowaway passengers."</p><p>"Hmm?" The man with the long, colourful scarf and the head full of curls quickly straightened. </p><p>"Um, hello," Roger murmured when the stranger’s wide-eyed gaze found them. Freddie's hand tightened around his arm, every muscle tense with the instinct to <i>run</i> and pull his friend along if the owners of this fantastical place were less than kindly disposed towards them. Although where in the world would they run to? And how would they ever find their way out again? </p><p>"We, uh-” was as far as Roger got in an attempt to explain their presence before the tall man’s face split into an enormous, almost frighteningly toothy grin. </p><p>"Freddie Mercury!" he exclaimed in a booming voice, making them both jump. The next second, he was striding towards them, hand outstretched.</p><p>"How d-do you-" Freddie tripped over his tongue in surprise at being addressed by name, by his new name, no less.</p><p>"Mercury?" the blond woman inquired with mild curiosity. "The planet or the metal?" </p><p>"Ah, well-" The man stopped in front of them and turned back to her, a finger raised, but then broke off, scratching his jaw. "Do you know, I've no idea. I suppose you had better ask him." </p><p>And with that he swivelled around to face Freddie and seized his hand, giving it a vigorous shake as he towered over him. “What a splendid surprise. I did wonder when I’d meet you, or should I say, when <i>you’d</i> meet me! Well, here we are. Hello again!” He nodded to Roger and released Freddie’s hand. “All of us, indeed - well, that is - only two of you, of course…”</p><p>“I- I’m sorry, how do you know me?” Freddie finally managed to get out. </p><p>“How do I know!” the man gasped, as though Freddie had made a marvellous joke. “My dear man!” Then the stranger’s face abruptly fell. “Romana,” he uttered, still eyeing the both of them. </p><p>“Yes, Doctor,” answered the lady in the pink coat. </p><p>“Say, what year did we just come from?” </p><p>“Nineteen-seventy.”</p><p>“Ah.” The man blinked, gaping at Freddie. Freddie blinked back. “Of course… of course I don't know you!” the stranger declared cheerfully, the smile returning to his face. “Don't be preposterous, how could I? Now!” He raised a hand to his head and buried it in his curls, eyebrows raised. “The question should be, how the devil did you two get in here?” </p><p>“Sorry, excuse me!” Evidently having had quite enough of being side-lined in this conversation, Roger stepped half in front of Freddie, looking up at the man. “I've got some questions too, actually, if you don’t mind. Who are <i>you</i>? And what exactly <i>is</i> this place?” </p><p>“I'm the Doctor,” the man looked quite delighted to inform him. “How do you do? Oh, and this here is my dear friend Romana-” </p><p>“Doctor?” Roger frowned as he also had his hand vigorously shaken. “Doctor who?”</p><p>“Precisely.” The Doctor nodded, curls bouncing, and indicated their surroundings with a sweeping gesture. “And you are on my ship. Welcome to the TARDIS,” he declared grandly and stepped aside, inviting them back into the circular room as one might into their front parlour. “What do you think? Do you like it?” </p><p>Roger glanced around. "...Ship?" </p><p>“TARDIS?” Freddie repeated as they both took a couple of hesitant steps forward. He felt like they were lagging behind terribly in this conversation.</p><p>“Time And Relative Dimension in Space,” the woman - Romana - singsonged with an air of exasperation. “Now, Doctor, we really must get going.”</p><p>“Wait, did you say <i>space</i>?” Roger looked from her, to the Doctor, to the centre of the room. “Is this-” His voice pitched higher still than it usually did, eyes glued to the blinking buttons, the multitude of switches and the large cylinder in the middle which, Freddie noticed, was now slowly moving up and down. “Are you saying this is a- a spaceship?”</p><p>A nervous laugh escaped Freddie, because that was an utterly preposterous question. Only Roger would ask a thing like that. Roger with his collection of science fiction books that he always had his nose buried in on a long drive, if he wasn’t driving. </p><p>However, no one else was laughing.</p><p>“Oh, it isn’t just any old spaceship.” The Doctor strode over to the console, casually flicking a few switches and pushing a couple of buttons. The room shuddered faintly and the wheezing noise from earlier echoed through the room. “It also travels in time.”</p><p>“What,” Freddie breathed, a bottomless sort of feeling in his stomach. </p><p>“That’s impossible.” Roger followed the Doctor as he rounded the console, watching his hands on the controls. “You can’t travel in time, nobody can!”</p><p>“Everything’s impossible, until somebody does it.” The Doctor wrapped his long fingers around the handle of a lever.</p><p>“Doctor.” Romana fixed him with a pointed look, coming up beside him. </p><p>“Yes, Romana, give them a moment, will you?” He lay a hand on her arm and turned back to Roger with a smile that was a little mischievous, and a little smug. “Do have a look for yourself. It might save us a bit of time.”</p><p>The Doctor pulled the lever and the wheezing noise stopped as the large doors slowly began to open. Freddie turned his head to look, trying to brace himself for goodness knew what. </p><p>And yet, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Snowy Kensington was nowhere to be found. </p><p>“That’s not real,” Roger uttered, taking a step towards the doors which were now wide open. Beyond them lay a sea of black stretching out into infinity, dotted with stars and celestial bodies. And there, right in the centre, was a small, blue-ish globe. Small, from this perspective, and yet perfectly recognisable. A shiver ran down Freddie's spine as he stared at it, barely breathing. </p><p>They were looking at Planet Earth.</p><p>“That <i>can't</i> be real.” Roger no longer sounded so sure even as he said the words, walking right up to the doors, so close that it made Freddie start forward despite himself. </p><p>“Roger-” The sight of that black nothingness turned his stomach, giving him a sense of vertigo, and he very much didn’t want his friend to walk right off the edge either in his amazement.</p><p>“Don't worry, it's quite safe.” The Doctor noted with barely a glance at the view. </p><p>“Why isn't the air being sucked out?” Roger asked while Freddie slowly edged closer to him until he could grab on to his hand. Much as he didn't want to be any closer to that black abyss, he desperately needed something to hold on to. </p><p>Perhaps it wasn't just him. Roger clasped Freddie's hand tightly in his own without a moment's hesitation. </p><p>“The TARDIS is protecting us,” the Doctor explained. “Look closely.”</p><p>As they both squinted at their home planet in the distance, Freddie saw them. At first only a glint, then the shape of them. There were metal structures that appeared to be man-made floating around and beside the Earth, just hovering there. And now that he was really looking, he could see a few tiny dots catching the light as they moved between the structures. One dot was currently heading away from the planet at what had to be a considerable speed, straight into the vastness of space. </p><p>“What is this?” he asked breathlessly. </p><p>“It's an alien invasion,” Roger gasped, eyes wide. “Is that what's happening?” </p><p>The Doctor chuckled. “I suppose you could say that. The Solonians would certainly agree! You're busy colonising their planet as we speak. You're looking at Earth in the 24th century,” he went on, walking up behind them. “Humans exploring farther than they ever have before. It’s only the beginning, of course.” </p><p>“Is now really the time for a history lesson?” Romana sounded entirely unimpressed but nobody paid her any mind. </p><p>It appeared that Roger had run out of questions as they stood quite still, gawking out into space, trying to wrap their minds around what they were seeing. Freddie felt like he was in a daze. His life seemed to have taken a few very strange turns since this morning, and he wasn't sure that it wasn't just fantasy. Couldn’t be sure that he hadn’t slipped on the ice this morning on his way to the market and knocked himself unconscious on the pavement. But there could have been worse hallucinations, he supposed. At least Roger was here with him, the firm grip of his hand more real than anything else at this moment. Freddie’s fingers tightened around it and Roger suddenly flinched, pulling his hand back and glancing down at it.</p><p>"Ow! What the-"</p><p>Freddie lifted his own hand, blinking at the glove which fit so snugly that he had entirely forgotten he was wearing it. One of the pair which he had appropriated without asking. The sharp metal claws glistened. “Oh, I…”</p><p>“That's the war glove of a Devil leader you're wearing.” </p><p>Freddie spun around to the Doctor, guiltily and very belatedly attempting to hide his left hand behind his back.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to- I wasn’t- a- a what?” Freddie raised his eyebrows, his mind catching up with the Doctor’s words halfway through while he tried to explain himself.</p><p>“Yes.” To his relief, the Doctor did not seem put out with him, nor particularly concerned. “Sea Devil, I should say,” he continued and turned on his heel, walking back to the console. Freddie instinctively followed. “Ancient race, advanced civilisation. Interesting customs. You see, the gloves mould themselves to the hands of the wearer.” The Doctor glanced up at him, leaning on the edge of the console, his gaze darkly mischievous. “You could say those were… a gift from the head Devil himself, although he didn’t part with them willingly.” </p><p>Freddie's eyes were huge as they wandered back and forth between the glove on his hand and the Doctor’s slightly manic smile. Roger had come up beside him to inspect it, too.</p><p>“Where’d you pick that up?” he murmured under his breath.</p><p>Not sure how to answer him in a few simple words, Freddie just shook his head and went to take the glove off, overcome with a sudden panic that it might not want to part with his hand so easily. </p><p>“Oh, it’s not dangerous,” the Doctor assured him, and to Freddie’s immense relief the glove came off easily. “Though I must say it suits you better than it ever did me," the Doctor added, his attention back on the controls before him. The doors closed again and the room gave another shudder. “You should keep it.”</p><p>Romana had joined him at the console and spoke up before Freddie could say a word. "Doctor, are we done with the pleasantries?”</p><p>“Quite right.” The look on the Doctor’s face grew serious. “I'm afraid we are in a bit of a rush.”</p><p>“Wait,” Roger started toward, past Freddie, coming up beside them. "Can I ask you just one more thing?" </p><p>“I don't see how I can stop you,” the Doctor muttered off-handedly, not looking at him while his hands danced over the controls. Meanwhile, Romana rounded the console, seemingly tapping a few buttons and flicking a switch or two at random. Roger looked back and forth between them.</p><p>“Are you two… human?”</p><p>Romana stifled a chuckle behind her hand, looking quite amused.</p><p>“No,” the Doctor answered simply, and even though it was utterly unthinkable, Freddie found that he couldn’t help but quite simply… believe him. “Now then-”</p><p>“But, but you’re speaking English!” Roger blurted out.</p><p>“You’re hearing English,” the Doctor corrected him, waving a hand. “It’s the gift of the TARDIS, it gets into your head, translates for you.” He frowned. “Although I do wonder why she let you in...”</p><p>“Are you sure you didn’t forget to lock it again?” Romana raised an eyebrow at him from the other side of the console.</p><p>“Again? Again?!” he scoffed, the very curls on his head quivering in protestation. “I <i>never</i> leave it unlocked. What the devil are you talking about? Now!” Ignoring the eye roll from his female companion, the Doctor raised a finger, turning to look at Roger and Freddie. “It’s time we brought you back where you belong.” </p><p>“What, just like that?” Roger sounded half impressed and half disappointed at the prospect.</p><p>“Why, of course!” The Doctor smiled, tapping the tip of his long nose with his finger. “The TARDIS can go anywhere in time and space, including Earth, nineteen-seventy, December the-”</p><p>As he spoke, he reached out and pulled the same lever as before, but was promptly cut off when the ship gave such a lurch that he, Romana and Roger had to brace themselves on the console to stay on their feet. Freddie stumbled forward, grabbing on to the edge of the console as well.</p><p>“Oh dear.” The Doctor grimaced and raised a hand, biting his knuckles, when the room was no longer shaking under their feet. “That is… it can go anywhere, <i>except</i> Earth, December nineteen-seventy, it would seem.”</p><p>Freddie and Roger exchanged a worried look, just as a monitor which hung from the ceiling on one side of the room flickered to life. </p><p>“Fascinating.” Romana turned to look at it, her fingers still moving over the controls in front of her. Strings of numbers and words were flitting across the screen faster than Freddie could make them out. “Doctor, it appears as though the Racnoss have put a temporal lock in place. If we try to break through it…”</p><p>“We could tear a hole into the fabric of space-time,” the Doctor grumbled, bringing his fist down on the edge of the console with a frustrated thump.</p><p>“You do know what this means.” Romana rounded the console, stepping close to him. “They’ve found Ziggy. I <i>told</i> you-”</p><p>“Shh.” The Doctor raised a hand, silencing her. “I’ve just had an idea. But it’s too dangerous… I can’t let them stay here.” His eyes flickered to Freddie and Roger, a deep frown on his face. “We’ll have to drop them off somewhere else, somewhere safe.”</p><p>“Er, I wouldn’t mind having a look around the 24th century, actually…” Roger cast Freddie a small, lop-sided smile and Freddie couldn’t help but smile back even though the thought of being dropped off in the far future was as terrifying as it was exciting. But the Doctor didn’t seem to think much of that idea.</p><p>“No, no, no,” he muttered, nudging them out of the way as he walked around the console, fiddling with some of the controls. “I said <i>safe</i>, I know what you humans are like, you’ll only wander off.” Just as he had come back around to Romana again, his face suddenly lit up. “Aha! I know just the place!”</p><p>"Oh?" Raising one of her thin eyebrows, Romana leaned in and the two of them bent their heads together, whispering.</p><p>"That's a bit rude, don't you think?" Roger complained, crossing his arms. Freddie was inclined to agree. Surely, the least they were owed was a say in where exactly the Doctor was planning to leave them.</p><p>But at that moment a few lights lit up on the console, drawing Romana’s attention. "Doctor!” she gasped. “We’re running out of time!"</p><p>“New Savannah!” The Doctor exclaimed, clapping his hands together. </p><p>“What?” said Roger.</p><p>“Home of the Catkind. You'll love it there.”</p><p>“The what?” said Freddie.</p><p>“Mostly barren, of course, as deserts go.” The Doctor was rushing around the console again, the ends of his long scarf flying behind him. Romana quickly stepped out of his way. “But wonderful resorts, if that is your sort of thing. You look like you could use a holiday.” The Doctor spun a dial and moments later, the same groaning noise they had heard in the spa room echoed through the ship. “One of the safest, most relaxing planetary destinations at this point in time. Well, if anybody knows how to relax, it would be cats.”</p><p>“Cats?” echoed Freddie. </p><p>The ship shuddered and the wheezing noise stopped.</p><p>“<i>Planet</i>?” Roger’s eyes were impossibly wide as he swivelled around to the doors, which were opening once again. This time, bright sunlight was falling in and Freddie squinted against it, an expanse of orange terrain and a magenta sky stretching out beyond the doors.</p><p>The Doctor spread out his arms in a grandiose, if somewhat frantic manner. "We're here! Chop, chop, off you pop!" </p><p>Romana was standing bent over the console, watching the blinking lights. "Doctor, it's down to microspans now. We really must be on our way."</p><p>"Yes, yes." The Doctor nodded, digging around in his pocket for a moment. With a small triumphant noise, he pulled out a cube the size of a paper weight. From his other pocket, he produced an odd, large pen-like object. It made a strange buzzing noise as he pointed it at the cube. Freddie opened his mouth to ask a question, but the object disappeared back into the Doctor's coat pocket before he had the chance to say anything. The Doctor quickly pushed the cube into his hands. “You’ll need this. It’s fully charged, you’re quite welcome.” </p><p>Freddie turned it over: it was hard, completely featureless and plain white.</p><p>“Just head straight for the hotel and give it to reception. It’s all inside the cube, you see?”</p><p>Freddie didn’t see at all, but he was beginning to accept this state of perpetual perplexity.</p><p>“The details of your stay, payment, everything.” The Doctor was ushering them out of the doorway as he spoke, into blazing sunlight, the air dry and dusty.</p><p>“But,” Freddie started, and stopped in his tracks when he looked back. Impossibly, the TARDIS was still the same, unremarkable blue police box that he had stepped into in Kensington, and yet he could see the all-white control room through the open doors. And those other rooms, they were all back there, somewhere. </p><p>The place where they had landed, on the other hand…was decidedly underwhelming. If it hadn’t been for the very unusual sky, he wouldn’t have known it to be an alien planet. There were no sleek spaceships, or any visions of twin suns in the sky. Those novels of Roger's had some explaining to do. The landscape looked almost featureless, the ground made up of reddish sand and small rocks. He could see a small building at the other end of the - well, more than anything else, it looked like an abandoned quarry. Not exactly like a holiday destination. </p><p>Beside him, Roger turned back to the TARDIS and Freddie followed suit, only to find the Doctor back inside, poking his head out of the doors. “You see?” he pointed at the building in the distance. “Just there. And no wandering off! We can go sightseeing later.”</p><p>“You can't just leave us here!” Freddie protested, looking from the cube in his hands, to the Doctor, to the building, blinking rapidly against the dusty wind which was making his eyes water. Or perhaps it was partly the prospect of being abandoned on an alien world without provisions and in complete uncertainty. </p><p>“Don't worry!” The Doctor shouted. “Enjoy! We'll be back before you know it!”</p><p>“Must you always show off?” Romana chided him in the background.</p><p>“That,” the Doctor’s curly head disappeared, the door closing, “was <i>Freddie Mercury</i>, Romana, if you knew-”</p><p>“Hey, wait!” At Freddie's side, Roger started towards the TARDIS. But it was too late. The doors had already slammed shut. The blue light on top of it came to life and there was that same wheezing noise again. They took a few steps back, trying to shield their eyes from the sudden wind that was whipping up sand and small stones around them. <a href="https://i.gifer.com/Tswb.gif">Before their very eyes, the blue police box began to fade until it was finally, completely gone.</a> </p><p>The wind died down. Freddie looked around.</p><p>They were alone, stranded on an alien planet.</p><p>- - -</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Ur0tYAaJd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Freddie did keep the gloves, of course.</a> ;)</p><p>Let us know what you think! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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